Code to text ratio measures the proportion of visible text content compared to the underlying HTML code on a webpage. This metric provides insights into content density and can indicate potential SEO issues or opportunities.
What Is Code to Text Ratio?
Every webpage consists of HTML markup (code) and the actual content visitors see (text). The ratio compares these two: if a page has 100KB of HTML but only 10KB of text, the ratio is 10%. Higher ratios generally indicate content-rich pages that search engines favor.
Optimal Ratios
While there's no universally "perfect" ratio, guidelines suggest:
- Below 10% - Very low, potential thin content issue
- 10-25% - Below average, consider adding content
- 25-50% - Good, healthy balance
- 50-70% - Excellent, content-focused page
- Above 70% - Great for content, may lack functionality
Why It Matters for SEO
Search engines aim to serve valuable content to users. Pages bloated with code but sparse on content may be seen as less valuable. A higher text ratio often correlates with more comprehensive, useful content that satisfies search intent.
Common Causes of Low Ratios
Heavy JavaScript frameworks, excessive inline CSS, bloated HTML from WYSIWYG editors, too many tracking scripts, and complex navigation structures can all inflate code size relative to content.
How to Improve Your Ratio
Add more quality content, minify HTML/CSS/JavaScript, move styles to external files, remove unused code, simplify navigation, and clean up auto-generated markup. Focus on creating valuable content rather than artificially optimizing the ratio.